Truth in the Matter
by Lifeguard
Summary: When Mulder and Scully are called to Vegas, Scully develops a connection with a certain CSI night shift supervisor, which leads to them both reevaluating and changing their own lives. Please R&R! Chapter 6 is up, 7 is being uploaded!
1. Chapter One

Title: _Truth in the Matter_

Author: _Lifeguard_

Disclaimer: _I own neither CSI or The X-files, or characters from either shows._

Archive: _Sure, just e-mail me and tell me where_

Spoilers: _"Three of a Kind" maybe "Rain King" and from CSI, "Play with Fire"_

Rating: _PG so far_

Summary: _When Mulder and Scully are called to Vegas, Scully develops a connection with a certain CSI night shift supervisor, which leads to them both re-evaluating and changing their own lives._

Author's Note: _This is the long awaited CSI/XF crossover. I plan to write two versions of this story, one from a CSI perspective, the other from an XF perspective. Both will be posted in their respective show categories. Please read and review and tell me what you think. _This is the X-files version. (Truth of the Matter is the CSI version)

The sound of high heels clicking on the floor alerted Mulder to the approach of his partner. As she entered the basement office, he smiled at her.

"Hey Scully"

"You're here awfully early Mulder, what's the occasion?"

He smiled again at her, and she knew that look.

"We have a new case, don't we? And judging by the way your grinning like a Cheshire cat, I think your excited."

"Ever been to Vegas Scully?"

"Yes" she answered flatly.

"Oh right! You and the gunmen" he laughed, remembering what had happened.

She gave him her own signature look, complete with raised eyebrow, signalling that she was not impressed. He immediately stopped laughing.

"That was a trip I would like to forget."

"Well how about making some new Vegas memories, cause that's where we're headed."

"When and for what reason?"

"There have been three reported disappearances out of the same park there, and only one body has been returned, complete with markings in the middle of the desert. We leave in a few hours, I'll pick you up from your place" Mulder replied, getting up and gathering his things.

"And we need to go and investigate this why?" Scully asked, again raising her eyebrow.

"You can read the case file on the plane. Go home and pack, cause we're going to Vegas baby!" Mulder answered, brushing her shoulder on his way out.

Scully just stood shocked in the office, wondering why she even put up with her partner sometimes.

"I cannot believe this Mulder! Your dragging me all the way to Vegas for a case that hasn't even been confirmed as an X-file yet!"

"It technically is. They have no evidence to point to a logical explanation for the disappearances yet"

Scully glared at Mulder. They were on the plane, half way there already.

"Any information that even remotely connects this case to us is based on pure hearsay! The witnesses are not credible, the papers have obviously taken their own spin on this. No wonder you didn't let me read the case file till we got on the plane! How did you even get Skinner to approve this?" Scully demanded, her voice raising slightly.

A few people sitting around them turned to look at the agents.

"You're making a scene Scully" Mulder said calmly.

Scully stared angrily at her partner.

"A scene? You'll get a scene when we arrive there and everyone thinks your insane!"

"What about you? You're going to be with me."

"Shut up Mulder!"

She turned away as best she could from him, and didn't talk to him for the rest of the trip.

Mulder guided the rental car through traffic trying to locate the building they were going too. Scully had only spoken to him when necessary, still mad at him. He glanced over at her in the passenger seat, and attempted to talk to her.

"You know, if we have some time when this is over, we could hit the slots, have some fun, say we were finishing up the case."

"How professional."

"Come on Scully. Tell me you don't want to have a bit of fun here."

"I want to be at home, not investigating this case with you."

"Ouch Scully. Was your trip with the gunmen that bad?"

"Just stop now Mulder. We're here, let's just get this over with."

He parked the car and they entered the building. They found the front desk and asked where they could find a certain Gil Grissom. They were directed to an office down the hall. As they came to the doorway, Mulder knocked and said,

"Hi, I'm Agent Mulder with the FBI, this is my partner Agent Scully. Are you Gil Grissom?"

**_Like it? Love it? Hate it? Want more case info? Read the CSI version of the story. Please read and review._**


	2. Chapter Two

Scully stood in the office doorway with Mulder, arms crossed. The office was full of jars containing bugs. The man behind the desk observed them for a moment before saying,

"Yes I'm Gil Grissom."

"We've been sent to help you out on the abduction case your currently working on" Mulder continued.

"It's not an abduction case Agent Mulder, it's a disappearance, and I can assure you that my team and I are perfectly fine working this alone."

Scully silently watched Mr. Grissom as he talked with Mulder. He seemed like an intelligent man, after all, he was the night supervisor of the top CSI lab in the states. He didn't act like he wanted their help.

"Not an abduction case? I've read the case file, and the markings on the body would suggest otherwise."

"I am saying that the case is that of disappearances connected to a possible serial killer. The markings are as of now, the killer's MO. I don't know what type of abduction you are referring to. What exactly do you specialize in Agent Mulder?"

Scully dreaded the next words Mulder would speak. She guessed what the reaction of this man would be.

"The paranormal. The markings on your victims bodies are ones similar to those we've seen on previous cases."

Scully watched as her prediction came true, Grissom's face going from confusion to shock as he realized their purpose of standing in his office.

"The paranormal?" Grissom repeated, and Scully wanted to flee the office.

"My partner and I work with cases that are deemed unexplainable, and we classify them as X-files. We've been doing this for about six years now. You'd be surprised how many cases we actually get" Mulder continued.

"Agent Mulder, I can assure you there is nothing supernatural about this case. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think we'll be needing your help."

Scully knew that this man was a scientist, and that he wasn't going to accept what Mulder was telling him. Grissom reminded Scully of how she had felt when she had first started on the X-files. She never thought that she would ever come close to accepting any of the theories and things that she and Mulder had seen and convincing this man of anything would certainly take time.

"I'm sorry you don't think you need us, but if you don't mind, as we do have permission to be here, my partner and I will still be taking a look at this case."

Mulder was not helping their case right now, and Scully knew that if he kept talking this supervisor was going to call their supervisor. It was time for her to do some damage control.

"Mr. Grissom, we're sorry to drop in on you unexpectedly and I assure you we're not here to take over. All we want is to help develop some insight into this case before someone else goes missing. We will try to stay out of the way of your team, and if we don't find anything that we can help you with in the next twenty four hours, I can guarantee you that we will leave."

She hoped that her offer would be accepted. She saw Mulder shoot her a look, and realized that he was not pleased by her offer. She would deal with him later. Scully waited for a few tension filled moments until Grissom responded.

"Alright."

****

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Please send me some feedback. Thanks to those who already have. More to come soon.


	3. Chapter Three

"Thank you Mr. Grissom" she replied.

"So what exactly do you plan to do here?" Grissom asked.

"Take a look at the abduction points, drop sites, and Scully will probably take a look at the bodies" Mulder responded.

Grissom nodded, not wanting to say anything, lest he start an argument with Mulder again.

"You have your twenty four hours, so if you don't mind, I need to continue my work on this case."

Grissom went back to studying his case files, and the agents took the hint and left the office. When they reached their car, Mulder turned to Scully as he put the key into the ignition.

"Scully, I think we need more than a day to go over this case. Why did you say that?"

"Mulder you know this isn't an X-file yet. Let's just have a look then go home. I think they have this case under control."

"He doesn't seem to have any other theories of how these women disappeared. How can you say it's under control?"

"Let's not start this Mulder. Not now. Just drive."

Mulder knew not to push her any further, so he backed the car out and drove to the first drop site.  
After scouring both drop sites, as well as the abduction sites, and finding nothing new, Mulder dropped Scully at the coroner's office, while he headed back to the lab to look at any evidence the team may have collected.

Mulder walked down the hall of the lab towards the evidence room. As he approached, he saw a brunette and another man looking over some things on the table. Mulder entered the room and the pair both looked up.

"I'm Agent Mulder with the FBI" he said, flashing his badge.

"Grissom warned us that the feds were coming" replied the brunette.

"I'm Nick Stokes, this is Sara Sidle" the man replied, in a Texan accent.

"Is this the evidence for the disappearance case?" Mulder asked.

Nick nodded.

"Mind if I take a look?"

"Go right ahead, you have the authority" Sara said, almost bitterly.

Mulder took in the evidence laid out on the table. There were pictures of the women and the markings, with pictures of their head injuries as well. There were photos of the crime scenes and drop sites, and samples of the clothing the women had worn. Mulder pulled out his folder and took out photos of markings from some of his previous cases.

"What are those?" Nick asked.

"Cases my partner and I have worked on that share similar markings on bodies to your case."

Mulder handed Nick the photos, and the men compared them.

"Agent Mulder, Grissom told me that you work with cases that deal with the paranormal? Is that correct?" Sara asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes it is."

"So you think this case has something to do with the paranormal then?" retorted Sara.

"It may. The markings on the body suggest it does, but it has yet to be determined."

"You're serious?"

Mulder nodded, as Nick smiled.

"Well Sara, didn't you try to prove a spontaneous human combustion case awhile back?" Nick teased.

Sara shot Nick a look of death, but Mulder didn't seem to notice, instead he replied,

"Really? Did you prove it?"

Sara glared back at Nick.

"No, it was just a theory. It was disproved" she said coldly.

"That's to bad."

"Well based on your cases, do any relate to this one?" Nick asked, turning his attention away from Sara.

"Possibly. I want to see what my partner finds on the body then discuss our findings, and then we'll see."

"How long have you and your partner been working on stuff like this?" questioned Nick, who was somewhat interested.

Sara watched as the two men talked, then got up and left the room.

"She ok?" Mulder asked.

"Just stubborn" Nick replied.

Mulder nodded, completely understanding what Nick had said.

Scully walked briskly down the halls of CSI headquarters. In her hand she held the results of a second autopsy that her and Dr. Robbins had done. Jim Brass had stopped by the morgue for something and had offered Scully a ride back to the lab, which she had gratefully taken, as she was still mad at Mulder, and even more so now. She found Gil Grissom's office, but stopped outside of the door, which was ajar, hearing voices inside.

"This is ridiculous Grissom! Aliens? The paranormal? You can't be serious about having these agents here" a female voice was saying.

"Sara, as I said before, I really have no choice when it comes to the FBI. If they want in on a case, I have to let them" Scully heard Grissom answer.

"Do you want them here?"

"No, not particularly. But if they do happen to bring new insight into this case, then their help is appreciated."

"What insight are they going to bring? Grissom, everyone is going to mock us for this!"

Scully sighed. She had heard this before. She knew what it was liked to be mocked. The reaction this CSI was having to her and Mulder being there didn't really surprise her.

"We've been mocked before. I think we can handle this" Grissom replied calmly.

"Seriously, who dedicates their work to studying the paranormal? Does this guy have no life?"

Scully didn't know whether to laugh or be offended by the comment. Mulder didn't really have a life outside of work, and come to think of it, she didn't really either, unless she counted watching old movies and eating pizza with her partner.

"'Judge not lest ye be judged'" Grissom simply replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well you do spend a lot of time here Sara, work does seem to be your life."

Touché Scully silently thought to herself. She heard the female scoff at her supervisor's remark.

"I do happen to remember you mentioning for me to get a life, then as I remember I did try and get one, only to have you calling me in on my days off. Then, well, let's not even get into how I tried to get you involved in my life, but that didn't work. And what do you do Grissom? It seems that you too spend a lot of time here, or with your bugs."

There was silence in the office for a good few seconds. Scully wondered if she should be eavesdropping any more or not.

"I don't think this is the time nor place to be discussing this" Grissom finally said.

"It's never the right time or place to discuss _this. _In fact, I think you still don't know what to do about it. You're going to be one lonely man with only his bugs and no life if you don't change you know."

Scully got out of the way just in time to avoid colliding with Sara as she left Grissom's office. She hesitated a moment before knocking on his door.

"Come in" he muttered from inside.

Scully opened the door and walked into his office. He looked up and seemed surprised that she was there.

"Can I help you?" he asked her.

"Mr. Grissom, I'm sorry to bother you but I have some autopsy results that I would like to share with you. Is this a good time?"

"It's fine. I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Dana Scully"

"So what did you find?"

Scully opened up her files and handed Grissom some papers.

"Dr. Robbins and I reviewed the tox screens for both victims and both came back positive for a date rape drug that wasn't picked up the first time."

Grissom put on his glasses and reviewed the papers he had been handed. His eyes widened as he read, and realized this could be their break in the case.

"Did you send this to trace?" he questioned.

Scully nodded.

"I want to find out where this is made, or where you can find out how to make it, and then maybe that will lead to who did this. Did you share this information with your partner yet Agent Scully?"

"No, my partner is around here somewhere. I would think he is still trying to prove that this case is paranormal."

"You don't share the same view as your partner then?"

"Agent Mulder can be a bit eccentric at times about his work. This is one of those cases. I honestly don't think this case has anything to do with our line of work, but he dragged me here to look anyways" Scully sighed.

"Have you told him your views on the case yet?"

"Yes, but we were half way here before I realized what we were doing. He knows what I think now."

"So your at odds with him?"

Scully nodded again. She thought about what she had just heard coming from this man's office, what with that woman, Sara. She was obviously mad at Grissom.

So I'm not the only one mad at a co-worker. Scully thought to herself.

"It's not like we haven't argued about cases before. We'll get over it" Scully explained.

"Well I hope you do. I am going to go to the lab and see what they have to say about this drug" Grissom replied, getting up.

"Ok, I am going to go find my partner then. See if I can convince him that this is a normal case" Scully joked, as she too got up.

****

Ok, so I know this story has been horribly neglected but school is murder. Finally have some time to work on it, only to develop some serious writers block. My muse comes and goes. I think I have an idea of where I want to go with this story, so hopefully more will be posted soon. Please read and review, I really appreciate feedback!


	4. Chapter Four

The two parted ways, and Scully set off to find Mulder. Walking down the halls, she admired the labs, seeing why it was the number one in the country. She nearly collided with a tall dark skinned man as she turned a corner.

"Whoa, sorry about that" he said.

"That's ok. I wasn't paying attention. Maybe you could help me"

"Shoot."

"I'm looking for my partner, Agent Mulder with the FBI, have you seen him?"  
"Yeah actually. He's down the hall in evidence. You must be Agent Scully. I'm Warrick Brown" he replied, offering his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for the help."

Scully continued down the hall and found Mulder talking with another man. He looked up and spotted her, motioning her into the room.

"What's up?" he asked casually.

"Mulder can I talk to you? Alone."

The other man looked between Scully and Mulder before saying,

"I think I'll go see what Greg's doing in the lab…" he excused himself, leaving the room.

Mulder watched Nick leave and then looked back at Scully.

"So what do you want to talk about?" he questioned.

"The tox screen results that I got back. The women all have date rape drugs in them, and unless aliens use those, then I think we should be heading home."

Mulder took the folder from her hand and glanced inside before replying;

"This proves that they were drugged Scully, but what about the markings on them?"

"Maybe the killer knows of the markings and he copied them."

"Can you prove it?"

"This proves that they don't need us here anymore, and I intend to head home as soon as I file my report here," she challenged.

"Scully, as far as I am concerned, we are not finished investigating all avenues of the evidence from this case. You can go if you want but I am going to complete my investigation here."

Scully glared at him.

"What evidence Mulder? Loose theories that can't be proven? Are you questioning my analysis of this case or my judgement skills?"

"I'm just asking you to support me here."

"I've supported you many times Mulder, but this time I am sticking with my decision. If you don't like that, then you can continue on your own. I had just hoped that you would respect my opinion for once before jumping into something like this," she hissed at him.

"Fine, then leave if you want" he said coldly.

"Goodbye Mulder," she icily replied before stalking out of the room.

Scully left the room and walked around the corner. She stopped for a moment just out of Mulder's site and leaned against the wall. She heaved a heavy sigh. She hated fighting with him, but sometimes he could be so determined about a case or theory that he didn't seem to listen to her. As much as she was mad at him, it hurt her that he could just brush her off. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She wouldn't cry, she couldn't. Not over a stupid thing like this. She swallowed the lump in her throat and swiped at her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Scully nearly jumped at the words of the night shift supervisor. Mustering up any dignity she had left she looked up and tried to smile at the older man. She nodded, not quite trusting her voice not to give her emotions away.

"Did you find your partner?" he asked gently.

"Yes, we talked," she finally replied.

"Are you going to be staying?"

"I'm not sure at this moment. I don't think we should, but Agent Mulder still wants to. I think I am going to go back to the hotel for awhile, maybe read over the case, see if there's anything else in there to change his mind."

Scully met Grissom's gaze, trying still to hide her emotions. He seemed to be holding her gaze, as if assessing her.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.

"I'm fine."

"Well, if you want, I have a bit of a break right now. Would you like to go somewhere and we could review the case together? Coffee?Maybe we could figure this out together."

Scully thought this over for a moment. Maybe it would be a good idea to see what Grissom had to say, and then maybe he could convince Mulder once and for all that this case was not paranormal. _I could certainly use a break from Mulder and some coffee, _she thought to herself.

"Alright," she answered.

"Come on, I'll drive," Grissom smiled, leading her down the hall.

The drive to the coffee shop was quiet, neither really speaking to each other, unsure of where to begin. Scully silently took in the sites beyond her window, but didn't really see anything. Now and then she stole a glance at the man in the driver's seat.

She could tell he was intelligent, someone dedicated to their work. But there was something else there. She had caught a glimpse of it earlier in the day while she had been listening to him and that CSI, Sara. She knew what Sara must have been referring to when she had emphasized the word _this_, and told her supervisor that he would wind up a lonely man. Scully knew that this woman was in love with this man, but this man had to make a choice between the woman and his work. Scully thought that Grissom must be having a difficult time making this choice, and that's what she saw. She saw his internal struggle on his face when she had walked into his office. She knew what it was because she was trying to make the same choice. She was just as scared as Grissom was about falling in love.

**_What do you think? My muse came back with a passion tonight, so hopefully there will be more soon. Please leave me some feedback, I really love reviews! Byes for now! L_**


	5. Chapter Five

Grissom pulled the truck into a parking lot and both headed into the coffee shop. Selecting a booth in the corner, they sat down, and Grissom laid the case files on the table. A waitress came to take their orders and then left, leaving the two again in silence.

Scully picked up a file, one she had read many times and pretended to read. She didn't really know what to say to this man that wasn't case related, or something they had already discussed about the case. Her mind was still reeling with her thoughts from the car. She looked up from the paper when he cleared his throat.

"So both you and your partner are from D.C.?" he asked.

She nodded, deciding to play along with this small talk.

"How long have you been partners?"

"Sometimes I think its been too long, but it's coming up to six years," she replied.

Scully didn't really want to talk about Mulder at the moment, because she was still mad at him. Grissom nodded in response and was silent, so she figured it was her turn to ask something.

"How long have you been in Vegas?" she asked.

"Just over fifteen years."

"Have you always been a CSI?"

"I was a coroner for some time, my specialty is entomology, but I have been a CSI for most of the time. Have you always been an FBI agent?"

"No, I started out in medical school, then I decided that I wanted to pursue something different."

She thankfully was interrupted by the waitress who brought their order. Scully had no interest in discussing her past right now. Again silence settled over the table while Grissom and Scully ate, and sipped at their coffee. Now and then one of them would make a comment about the case, then continue eating, but both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts still.

Scully's mind was not focused on the case but still on Mulder's comments and what she had heard take place between Grissom and his co-worker Sara. She assumed that the two CSI's had been working together for some time for Sara to develop feelings for him. She wondered how people who had spent that much time together could still be so insensitive to each other. Then her thoughts came back to Mulder, and she mentally sighed. How many times had he done just that to her; been insensitive. She wondered what Grissom felt towards Sara, if he was afraid of what Sara felt for him. She was afraid: afraid of falling for Mulder and getting hurt, afraid of a relationship at work, afraid of risking their work for love. She was surprised when the silence was suddenly broken by Grissom.

"You said that Agent Mulder and yourself have been together for nearly six years now. You two must be fairly close," Grissom began.

Is he reading my mind? Scully thought to herself. She considered how to approach the question. What did close mean? She placed her coffee on the table and replied;

"We're good friends, but as you know we have our differences."

"It sounds as if you and Agent Mulder are working through a difference on this case," Grissom ventured.

Scully scoffed at his comment. _That's a nice way of putting that we're fighting, _she thought. _Is it that obvious?_

"Mulder is…" she stopped.

How do I put this in a way for Grissom to understand?

"He's a little eccentric about how he approaches cases, well that being our field I guess he has to be, but sometimes he doesn't listen to logic. This case is a good example. I don't think that he really read what this case is about, I think he just saw what the tabloids were saying. I didn't actually see the reports until we were taking off on the plane. I tried to talk some sense into him, but, well, he sees things his way. I guess it's always been that way. We just think differently about things sometimes."

"So you consider yourself to be logical? How did you end up working on paranormal cases with this man then?" a confused Grissom asked.

"I guess I am logical. It's just that I started out in science, and that's always been what has given me answers. The cases I've worked with Mulder have opened my eyes to things I never thought were possible. This case, the way you and your team have handled it so far, has seemed like it has a scientific, probable explanation behind it that Mulder and I didn't need to be a part of."

"Science is a touchstone, and the evidence never lies, that's a fact, but sometimes I wonder if there are other explanations for things."

Scully was surprised at Grissom's response. She had expected him to be a man of science, and didn't think that he would ever accept any of what she or Mulder worked on. She had guessed this standing in his office the first time she had met him.

"Have you ever had any other cases where you have thought there might be another explanation?" she asked, now curious.

"Maybe not another explanation, but I did work a case a few years ago where we had a psychic who helped out. He saw things that no one else could have known. It was interesting. But mostly I wonder if there are other explanations for the ways in which people treat each other. There are times when I don't understand why a human can kill another human or hurt something as innocent as a child."

"That's true. Human nature can be hard to explain. Sometimes it's the hardest thing to understand someone who we are close to…" she trailed off.

Scully stopped, realizing what she was beginning to talk about. Her eyes fell from Grissom's and back down to the table.

"I bet you have felt that way about your partner," he said.

This man is a mind reader, she thought, her eyes returning to his.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up," Grissom apologized quickly.

"No, it's alright. I already practically told you what I don't understand about Mulder, and we are close, but you've probably been in the same position with someone you've worked with as well."

Scully watched a sudden flash of emotion shoot across Grissom's face, almost as if she had caught him off guard.

"I can't say I haven't been. But to tell you the truth, your not the only one fighting with someone today."

Scully raised her eyebrow at him, silently urging him to go on.

"I don't know if you've met Sara Sidle, one of the members of my team. She was in my office today, and she was expressing her opinion on what she thought of you and your partner being here. It was actually just before you came into my office. I hope you didn't hear much of it, and if you did, I'm sorry."

Busted, Scully thought to herself. She debated whether or not to tell him what she had heard, but since he was obviously able to pick up on the problems her and Mulder were having, she decided to tell him the truth.

"Well actually, I did hear some of that conversation. I didn't mean to…"

"Again, whatever you heard, if you were offended, I'm sorry on behalf of Sara and myself."

"Mr. Grissom, it's alright. I wasn't offended by anything I heard. In fact, we get the same reactions out of a lot of people."

"I can't say I wasn't doubtful of your involvement when I first met you, but one has to keep an open mind. It will take some time to convince Sara though."

"I'm sure if you're close, then you both will be able to work this out."

Scully saw the look on Grissom's face in response to what she had said. She had dropped the sentence casually to see how he would react. He had obviously figured out what was going on between her and Mulder, or at least come close to, so why shouldn't she be able to figure out and drop hints about what was going on between him and his team member?

****

Well, I hope you are enjoying this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Special thanks to Rach who keeps coming back! Sorry I can't help you out with the game, I don't own it. And to Addicted1, sorry I didn't respond sooner, but of course you can use this technique to write your story. I don't mind.

Hopefully there will be more coming soon. I have a bit of a break between exams, so maybe then if my muse hits. I am still trying to work out a few details for the plot though. Anyways, thanks again! Byes, L.


	6. Chapter Six

Scully watched the man fiddle with his glasses for a moment. She watched his face intently as he contemplated how to respond to her statement. Finally he raised his gaze to meet hers and calmly replied;

"As you so aptly put it before, it can he hard to understand the people we are closet with, therefore it must also be hard for them to understand us. Yet I think it can be even more difficult when you are close to someone to admit certain things to them, for various reasons, making working things out difficult as well."

"Talking out the problem can help. Have you tried that?" she countered him.

"Things can be complicated even further if people are stubborn or unsure of where to take the situation," he answered.

Hypocrite! She thought to herself. _Talk things out? Have I even tried doing that with Mulder? Stubborn? I think Mr. Grissom and I are both in the same boat._

She thought to herself. 

"So are you the stubborn one?" she blurted out.

He gave her an odd look.

"I'm sorry, that was incredibly rude of me," Scully apologized, trying not to blush.

"No, I guess it's a valid question based on my statement," he started.

She gave him a look as if to say, go on.

"I think both Sara and I have been stubborn about things from time to time. I don't think it's one of us more than the other. What about you? Are you the stubborn one?" he challenged.

Scully thought about this for a moment. Was she the stubborn one? Mulder would probably say so. But hadn't he been the one that was being so pig headed during this case?

She took a moment to contemplate her response, fiddling with her napkin.

"Mulder would say I am the stubborn one, and I guess there are times when I have to agree with him to a certain extent. But then there are cases like this one, where all I want him to do is listen, and it proves that he is just as bad some of the time," she answered.

"So we both want to blame our partners for being stubborn like us. I guess we are in the same boat then," Grissom said.

"We're unsure of where to take the situation," replied Scully.

Damn! Scully thought to herself. _I've gone and said something stupid again! What is it with this man and me telling him everything? We are in the same situation, that must be it._

Scully thought to herself. 

"How much exactly did you hear of the conversation in my office?" he asked quietly.

Well there's no sense in lying now, she thought before answering,

"Umm….everything. Look, I'm sorry, I really am. I shouldn't have."

"It's not your fault. The door should have been shut…" he trailed off.

They sat in silence, now both unsure of where to take this situation. Finally Grissom spoke;

"Well then I have a confession to make as well. I overheard most of your conversation with your partner. So now we're both guilty of eavesdropping if that makes you feel any better."

Scully looked up to meet the older man's eyes and smiled. She got a quizzical glance in return.

"So I guess we can both speak frankly now," she said slyly.

"About what?"

"About how we both have feelings for our co-workers, but are to stubborn to admit it."

Scully blushed at what she had just said, realizing how bold she was being. But she knew perfectly well now that he had overheard her and Mulder, and figured out their situation, and she had told him that she knew his. There was no sense talking circles around the topic anymore.

Yet when he remained quiet after her statement she wondered if she had made the wrong assumption. She was about to apologize for the umpteenth time that day, but was stopped when he spoke first.

"Yes, I do have feelings for Sara, strong ones. But the truth of the matter is Agent Scully, that even though I want to, I can't bring myself to tell her. If I do, I risk so much. I risk her job and mine, with me being her supervisor and all. I know it seems selfish, but all the years of work I've done and everything she's worked for could all be thrown away if we were to ever be together. I know I am hurting her, pushing her away, but it's because I don't want to hurt her, and I don't want to be hurt."

She was stunned at his confession and how he had suddenly become an open book for her. But what shocked her the most was that what he said was so similar to what she was feeling. She was aware that talking to this man was like playing a mental game of chess.

"I understand exactly what you are saying Mr. Grissom. As much as Mulder drives me insane, he's also my best friend, and the best relationships are rooted in friendship. The only thing is, there are so many things that could go wrong if we were to be together. Not only could we get into trouble at work, but we have enemies that would surely use it to their advantage. Yet is it worth it? Is it worth the pain of denying yourself love and hurting someone you care about over your career? I ask myself this question all the time. I wonder that if I ever act on my heart's desire instead of my rational mind, that it will be to late…"

Grissom nodded in response.

"I ask myself the same question, but look at me. I might be too late if I ever decide to take a risk…"

"Then why don't you risk it? If you've denied yourself love for this long, why don't you take the chance?"

"Why don't you while you're still young?"

Both starred at each other for a moment, considering the challenge presented by the other.

I am still young. Do I really want to grow old and not know what it would have been with Mulder? But so many bad things could happen if we got together! Yet so many good things have happened since we have been partners. He loves me too, I know it. Are him and I both denying what we want for the same reasons? Scully thought to herself.

****

Like it? Love it? Hate it? My muse is back and I have more to come soon! Hope you like this chapter.

A BIG thank-you goes out to everyone who has reviewed "Tell Me." I didn't think it was my best MSR angst, but thanks to your wonderful reviews, you have made me really happy with it! Thanks so much! (Hugs for all who reviewed.) And another BIG thanks is to everyone keeping up with this story! You are all so nice to keep coming back even though I am horrible with keeping it up to date! Thanks again!

Reviews make me so happy! Byes for now, L


	7. Chapter Seven

"Maybe it was unfair to ask you that. I have no clue how your partner might feel about you," Grissom finally said.

"He cares about me…" Scully answered quietly.

I know he does, she thought.

"Well then if you know he cares about you, then take the chance, don't end up almost missing your chance, and with regret, like me."

"But you haven't missed your chance yet Mr. Grissom. She maybe mad at you now, but she'll probably say yes if you ask her."

"It's complicated with Sara and I…"

"You're making it complicated. I heard what she said," Scully cut him off.

Grissom sighed and Scully gave him her trademark look.

"You know what? I think we both need to re-evaluate our work and professional relationships, really think about what's important in life. I am not saying that you should definitely start something with Sara, just think about it, and everything we talked about."

"Will you consider the same about Agent Mulder?"

Scully nodded, as Grissom's cell phone rang.

"Grissom…"

He talked for several minutes before hanging up.

"That was Catherine. She thinks they may have cracked the case. We should get back to the lab."

The ride back to the lab was as silent as the ride to the diner, as both Scully and Grissom thought about everything that had been said.

Grissom is really an interesting man. It's amazing how similar our personal lives are. How can we both be so wrapped up in our work that we place love second? I should talk to Mulder when we get back, maybe on our next pizza and movie night, Scully thought to herself, looking out her window.

As Grissom parked the truck in the parking lot, he stopped the engine, but didn't get out of the car. Instead he sat there for a moment. Scully raised her eyebrow at him, her signature expression. He looked at her and smiled.

"I just want to thank you for the break. You really made me think about some things that I need to change in my life," he said quietly to her.

"Well you did the same for me, so I should be thanking you as well Mr. Grissom."

"Maybe we could stay in touch. It would be nice to have a friend in the FBI with insight like yours."  
She smiled at him and her blue eyes shone.

"I'd like that," she replied simply, before getting out of the truck.

I don't think I've ever met anyone like Grissom before. I wonder if he'll take the chance on Sara. I think I know what she sees in him. Could I have taken a chance with a man like Grissom if I had never met Mulder? Scully thought to herself.

They entered the building and found their way to the AV room where they were greeted by Catherine, Warrick and Archie.

"So what did you find?" Grissom asked eagerly.

"Well you know how some witness accounts stated that a bright light was seen above the area before each abduction? Well we looked back at all the air traffic for each night, and found that a helicopter tour was flying over each time. That would account for the blinding light right?" Catherine explained.

Grissom and Scully nodded.

"We also found that on the second night, the tour company was shooting some new promotional footage, and guess what we got our hands on?" she smiled.

"Play it Archie," Warrick said.

The screen in front of them proceeded to show a video of a woman walking in the park. As she walked along, she tripped and a man appeared to help her. Instead of helping her, he put a cloth over her face, and the woman seemed to go limp. The video cut out.

"Is that it?" asked Scully.

"That's all from the park. But Archie and I were able to pull a few stills from the footage, and we have a clear shot of our second victim and our killer. Cath and I think that whatever he used to drug her was either chloroform or that date rape drug found in the bodies."

"Excellent work. Get those stills of the guy to Brass and hopefully we can find this person before he hurts anyone else," Grissom replied.

"That still doesn't explain the markings on the bodies," Catherine questioned, glancing at Scully.

"I guess we'll have to ask our killer when he gets here," Scully answered simply.

"By the way Agent Scully, your partner was looking for you. I think he's in the break room," Warrick said.

"Thanks."

With that she left the room in search of Mulder. She wasn't sure how much he had heard, or how receptive he would be when she told him what they had found out about the case. In fact, she wasn't sure how to exactly approach him after their last conversation and then her talk with Mr. Grissom. As she turned the corner, she could see him in the room, slumped in a chair, reading over something. She crossed the distance to the doorway and stood there for a moment.

He had heard her coming down the hall. He knew the sound of her heels, and could sense her standing there. He looked up from his files at her. Somehow, she didn't seem as mad as before. She had a softer look in her eyes.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," he repeated.

He motioned for her to come sit with him. She hesitantly walked over and sat on the edge of the couch.

"Where have you been?" he asked softly.

"I went to discuss some case details with Mr. Grissom over his break."

"So have you heard the big news then?"

"If it's about the helicopter footage, yes."

"That's part of it."

"What's the other part?"

"The part about me acting like a jerk. I'm sorry I acted like that Scully."

She gazed into his brown eyes, and saw that he was truly sorry.

"Can you forgive me for acting like a stubborn ass?"

She smiled at him and replied,

"I guess, but only if you'll forgive me for being stubborn as well."

"Agent Scully is admitting to being stubborn?" he feigned shock.

She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Don't go pushing it Mulder."

"Would I be pushing it if I asked if you wanted to go do some Vegas site seeing before we leave?"

"But don't we still have a case to continue with first?"

"I thought you wanted to go?" he questioned.

"Let's just say that Mr. Grissom and I came to an understanding, and I would like to see how things turn out. Wouldn't you?"

It was Mulder's turn to raise an eyebrow at his partner.

"Only if you want to then Scully. But then some site seeing?"

She playfully pushed his arm.

"Maybe later," she smiled.

****

I told you my muse was back! Well if you are all still interested in how the case ends, then chapter 8 will probably be the last one for both stories.

To address some of the comments left to the stories: Maybe I should have broken up where the characters were in the first chapter, especially in the XF one, but the main part of this story was meant to be the interaction between Grissom and Scully at the diner. I hope this chapter adds something to that and I didn't jump around as some of the reviewers put it.

As for Scully being out of character in the first chapter, she was mad because Mulder didn't tell her anything about the case until they were on the plane, and I was hoping to pull some anger from "Three of a Kind" when she didn't have the best Vegas experience.

Thanks for the constructive feedback, and I do take it into consideration. (It's better than flames.)

Thanks to Rach who is such a sweetheart for coming back and always reviewing and finally adding 1 review to Bullet-Proof!

Final chapter is coming! And then, I don't know maybe a new story. I am open for suggestions! Byes, L


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